Process cycle controller



June 1 3- H. E. ALLEN 4 rnocsss creme conmonmn 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1941 \NVENTOR Harold Eff/Ian ATTORNEY June 8, 1948. H. E. ALLEN PROCESS CYCLE CONTROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1941 INVENTOR Harald 1.41 Zen ATTORNEY Patented June 8,

PROCESS CYCLE CONTROLLER Harold E. Allen. Akron, Ohio, aesilnor to The Bristol Company, Waterbury, Coma, a corporationor Connecticut Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 315,091

troller in which segregation may be obtained bea tween the timing of certain events which occur in relatively rapid succession and other events which are separated by considerable intervals of time.

In the automatic control of discontinuous process cycles it is frequently found desirable to group certain events having to do with the opening or closing or locking of presses or molds or the like in a more or less fixed timing relationship, while other elements of the cycle such as curing or cooling of the material under treatment may be required to extend over adjustable periods of time relatively great as compared with thosecharacterizing the operation or the controlled mechanism. If an attempt is. made to incorporate all these controls in a single mechanism operating at a constant speed, the cams or the like by which the various operations are commanded will require to be cut with great pre- -cision and operated under extremely precise speed control. Otherwise the timing of the long intervals may be far from exact and that of the short intervals may be similarly indefinite. Various attempts have been made to develop for this class of work cycle controls in which the cams or control elements may be moved selectively at two speeds, one corresponding to the rapidly succeeding events, and the other to the extended time intervals. Such a controller is shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,050,614, granted to the applicants asslgnee, August 11, 1936. In the performance of more intricate process cycle controls it frequently becomes desirable to carry out in succession a considerable number of events which individually must be performed with considerable rapidity but which must be separated by extended periods of time, all independently adjustable to suit diilerent products and materials. For work of this class it has been found expedient to employ a controlling instrument in which the events characterizing the cycle are made subject to the operation of a mechanism which is periodically advanced at the termination of each of the extended time intervals so as to establish a new condition, and then caused to remain at rest until the establishment of a further condition is required.

It is an object of this invention to provide a process cycle controller in which a number of events may be separately and individually controlled, and the time intervals separating said 5 Claims. (CL 181-7) events positively established and yet readily subject to change if desired.

It is a further object Of the invention to provide a cycle controller of the above-named class in which a certain group of time intervals characterizing a predetermined cycle may be deflnitely established on a removable member of the instrument, so that changes from one cycle to another may readily be effected with a minimum of delay.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a controller of the above named class which shall be flexible and readily adaptable to a large variety of process cycles without material change in. theoperating elements of the mechanism.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cycle controller embodying the principles of the invention and adapted to the control of an electrically operated platen press for a process cycle involving the operation of a plurality of pneumatically actuated valves in a predetermined sequence.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of certain elements of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of a valve element forming a part or the mechanism.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are end elevations to a somewhat enlarged scale of several of the cam elements utilized in the mechanism for the purpose of timing the occurrence of events.

Fig. '7 is an end elevation of a typical form of a cam adapted to the actuation of a pilot valve.

Fig. 8 diagrammatically represents a development of the contours of certain cam elements utilized in timing the performance of the instrument.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a cycle controller embodying the principles of the invention, connected to control the operation of an electrically operated platen press such as may be used in the curing of plastics and of rubber compounds. Under operating conditions there would be associated with this press various pneumatically actuated diaphragm valves for the purpose of controlling the admission of steam or other curing agents to the molds. As these valves form no part of the invention,

they are, for purposes of clarity, omitted from the drawings; and only the pilot valves through which they would be controlled specifically shown.

A base plate H! has mounted thereon a valve block E i carrying a plurality of pilot valves i2, preferably of the type shown in U. 8, Letters Patent No, 1,898,494, issued to the applicants assignee, December 3.3, 1932. The conduit it serves as a source of supply for compressed air to the valve block it and thence through the valves 82 to conduits it, leading to the diaphragm valves under control. A shaft i journaled in bearings it mounted upon plate til carries a plurality of cam elements it adapted to actuate the valves 1 2 and to control the passage of air therethrough in accordance with the radius of the portion of the cam in engagement with the corresponding valve, as will hereinafter be explained in further detail.

Carried by the shaft l5 are three additional cams l8, l9, and 20 adapted to the actuation of electrical circuit-controlling devices for the oper ation of the controlling instrument. Cam member I8 is, for example, provided with twelve similar indentations or notches 2i adapted to coact with a follower 23 in controlling a double-throw contact device 24. The follower 23 is biased, by means of a spring 25, into engagement with the rim of the cam 88, so that the spring will tend to force the follower into the indentations at, as they pass within its range. The contact device 2 3 includes two sets of contacts 26 and 27 adapted alternatively to engage a common contact. element 28, whereby said device functions as a single-pole double-throw switch, the elements of the same being so disposed that when the follower 23 rests upon the rim of the cam it the element 28 will be brought into engagement with the contact 26 and disengaged from the contact 27, and when the follower is moved under influence of the spring 25 into any on of the indentations 2i, said element 28 will be disengaged from contact 26 and engaged with contact 27.

Mounted upon the same hub as cam I8, and adapted to be clamped thereto as by a nut 29 are one or more overlapping plates 3t, 3! (see Figs. 5 and 6) Each of these plates has a portion of its periphery of radius equivalent to that at the bottom of the indentations 2 i, and a projecting part or a dwell of a radius equivalent to the maximum radius of the cam l8. These plates may be provided with their projecting parts subtending various angles, corresponding to various numbers of the indentations 2| to be blocked out of the cycle. For example, the projection 30' double-throw switch with contacts 35 and 53 adapted to be connected selectively to a ccm= mon contact element 37, according to whether the contactor engagesthe smaller radius portion or the part 32, of the cam periphery. Associated with cam member and operable thereby, is a contactor 35, having contacts as and it, so dis posed that contact 59 is closed and contact at opened when the contaetor 38 is engaged by the smaller radius portion of the periphery of the cam 29, while contact dd is closed and contact 33 opened when said contactor is engaged by the part 33 of said cam. A constant speed electric motor simounted upon the plate it acts through a gear train 62 to rotate the shaft 85 whereby said cam members are carried.

Referring to the Fig. 7 wherein is shown an end elevation of one of the valve-actuating cams if it will be seen that respective portions of the cam periphery have different radii as at a and b. The proportioning of the engaging parts is such that when the valve actuating mechanism is in contact with the portion of the cam having the larger radius a, said valve will be opened to on plate 30 is shown as subtending such an angle that it can be made to span either one or two of the notches, according to its position, and present a continuous rim for engagement by the follower 23, whereby said notches are blocked out and become ineffective. In a similar manner, the

projection 3i on plate 3! is out to block out either three or four notches, according to its position. Thus, with these two plates used singly or in conjunction, it is possible to block out any number of the notches or indentations up to six. By providing other plates, other numbers can be blocked out, so that the total number of efiective notches in the cam i 8 may be made of any selected value according to the number of operations represented by the cycle to be controlled;

Cam member I 9 bears on its periphery a single projecting part 32 of larger radius, and subtending a relatively small angle; and cam 20 bears a similar part 33 (see Fig. 8), both of said parts 32 and. 33 being positioned at any desired points with respect to the peripheries of said cams. Associated with cam member 19, and operable thereby, is a contactor 34, functioning as a allow the passage of air therethrough, and when in engagement with the portion b, the valve will be closed. It will be obvious, therefore, that the opening and closing respectively of the pilot valve will correspondto the transitions of the engag ing part of the same from the radius b to the radius a, as at c, and from the radius a to the radius 12, as at d, with the cam rotating in a counter-clockwise sense as shown by the arrow in Fig. 7. Each of the cams may be cut to open and close its associated valve at any desirm points in the cycle of rotation; -or by means at a cam made up of relatively displaceable plate members, as 43 and 66 adapted for adjust clamping as by a nut 55, said points may be ad justed as desired on a single cam.

Pivotally mounted upon the plate 50 is a shaft or spindle 48 perpendicular to said plate and adapted to be rotated through a limited angle about its axis by means of a gear member is and carrying a manually operable clamping device similar to that fully disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,155,817, issued to applicants as signee, April 25, 1939. A spiral spring 55 hav one extremity attached to the spindle 58 and the other to an abutment 52 carried by the plate 58, tends to rotate the spindle as in a clockwise sense. A projection finger 53 attached to the gear member $9 is adapted to engage a stop 58 mounted upon the plate It definitely limiting the rotation of said gear member and spindle in a clockwise sense under the influence of spring 5t. A constant speed electric motor 51 is arranged to drive the gear member t9 and the spindle as in n counter-clockwise sense by an electrically o ated clutch mechanism, which may be of any of a number of well-known forms. For exampte, themotor 51 may carry a gear member 58 adapted to be operatively connected to the gear member 69 by the interposition of an idler gear 59 carried by a movable arm 60. An electromagnet 6! is adapted to act upon an armature 62 carried'by the arm 60 in such manner that when said electromagnet is energized the gear 59 is shifted out clockwise sense so long as said motor is in operation.

Fixed to the spindle 48 by the manually operable clamping device 41 is a disc 63 of thin metalor stifi paper adapted to be rotated by said spindle in a manner similar to that of a circular-chart recording instrument. The disc 68 is preferably graduated about its periphery in uniform divisions corresponding to units of time. Inscribed upon the disc near its periphery is a circular zone 84 concentric with the axis of spindle 48 and intersecting the graduations upon the surface. Embracing the edge of the disc 83 is an orifice element 85 having inwardly directed openings or jets 86 opposing each other and juxtaposed to the front and rear surfaces of the disc 63 within the zone 64. Connected to the orifice element 65 is a conduit 6? communicating with the interior of a bellows member 88 having a movable part 89 adapted to deflect in correspondence with fluid pressure conditions within the bellows member. A conduit I8 connected to the source of air pressure i3 is in communication with the conduit 61 through a constricted portion Ii.

The combination including the orifice member 65, the bellows 68, and associated conduit parts, together with the disc 63, serves to function in a manner identical with that fully set forth in U; S. Letters Patent No. 1,880,247, issued to applicants assignee, October 4, 1932. Upon the application of air pressure to the system through conduit 18 the disc 63, if embraced by the orifice member 65, will serve to obstruct the escape of air therefrom, causing a back pressure to be built up within the conduit 61 and the bellows 68.

A contactor I2, adapted to function as a singlepole double-throw switch, is arranged to be operated from the movable part 69 of the bellows member 68, and serves selectively to provide electrical connection between a common contact element I3 and a contact I4 or a contact I5 respectively according to whether fluid pressure is applied orreleased within the bellows member 68, which, in turn, depends upon the extent to which the disc 63 obstructs the escape of air from the jets of orifice member 65.

For purposes of explanation the novel process cycle controller, while not in any sense limited to such an applicaton, is shown as used in connection with a platen press 88. This press is equipped with a reversible electric motor 8| by which a platen 82 may be raised to a closed position or lowered to an open position according to the direction in which said motor is rotated. Mounted upon the press is a limit switch 83 corresponding to 'the closed position and a limit switch 84 corresponding to the open position. The switch 83 has an upper contact 85 and a lower contact 86 adapted to be engaged altematively by a common contact member 81. The switch 84 has an upper contact 88 and a lower contact 89 adapted to be engaged alternatively by a common contact member 98. A tappet bar 8| carried by the platen of the press is adjusted to engage the switches 83 and 84 when the platen reaches the respective closed and open limits of its travel. When the platen is in its uppermost position, and the press closed, the contact 81 is forced into engagement with contact 85, and cleared from the contact 86. When the platen is not in its uppermost position the reverse condition of these contacts exists. When the platen is in its lowest position, the contacts of switch 84 are actuated in a sense that contact 98 is engaged with contact 89 and cleared from contact 88, the reverse condition existing when the platen is not in the lowest position.

The electrical connections by which the cycle controller is operatively associated with the platen press are as follows: The motor 8| is provided with three terminals, 92, 93, and 84, the internal connections being such that when voltage is applied between the terminals 92 and 93 the motor will be operated in a sense to'close the press, and when voltage is applied between the terminals 94 and 93 the motor will be operated in a sense to open the press. From one side of a source of electric power, a conductor 96 is carried directly to one terminal each of motor 4| and electromagnet BI, and also'to terminal 93 on the motor 8i. The other side of the source of electric power is connected by a conductor 81 to the common contacts 81 and 98 of the switches 83 and 84 respectively. The contact 21 of contact device 24 is connected by a conductor 88 to contact I4 of contact device 12; and contact 26 of the former device by a conductor 99 to contact 15 of the latter, and also to contact 35 of contactor 34. The common contact 3'! of the contactor 34 is connected by means of a conductor I88 to contact 89 of limit switch 84; and contact 38 of contactor 34 by means of a conductor IN to the free terminal of electromagnet 6|. One side of contact 38 in contactor 38 is connected to the common element I3 of contactor 12 by means of a conductor I82, and also by said conductor to the free terminal of motor 51. The other side of contact 39 is connected by a conductor I83 to the contact '85 of switch 83. One side of contact 48 of contactor 38 is connected by a conductor I84 to contact 88- of switch 84. The other side of contact 48 is connected by a conductor I85 to terminal 94 of the motor 8|. The terminal 92 of motor 8| is connected by a conductor I86 to contact 86 of the limit switch 83, but includes in series therewith a normally open push button contactor I87. The common contact element 28 of contactor 24 is connected by a conductor I88 to the free termirial of motor 4|.

For the purpose of establishing definite time intervals to characterize a predetermined cycle of operations, there are pierced in the disc 63 small perforations, as by an ordinary ticket punch, these preferably being somewhat elongated in a radial sense to compensate for possible eccentricity in the disc 63, and being located upon the zone 64 at its points of intersection with the graduations corresponding to the time intervals into which it is desired to have the process cycle divided. For example, the disc is shown as punched with a perforation I89 at a point on the zero line, and six further perforations H8, HI, H2, H3, H4, and H5, at the points corresponding respectively to time lapses and 12 minutes from the instant of starting. The cams I! are set and locked in positions with respect to each other and to the notches in cam I8 so that for the successive increments of advance of said last-named cam as the follower 23 passes from one notch to the succeeding notch, the valves I1 will be actuated to establish in proper sequence the variious events which characterize the process cycle to be controlled.

The relative positioning of cams I8, I8, and 28 corresponding to a typical cycle involving six successive events and six dwells 'of the shaft I5, is shown in Fig. 8, where the line e indicates the location of the several followers with respect to said cams when the shaft I6 is in its normal position of rest. In order to effect the six increments of motion-characterizing the cycle, six of the notches 2! on the cam I8 are left open, and the remaining six blocked out by the plates 30 and 3i as hereinabove set forth. Under the normal condition of rest the cam I8 stands with the follower 23 at the top of the rise from one of the indentations 2I, maintaining the contacts 26 and 28 of the contactor 24 in engagement. The projecting part 32 of the cam i9 is in engagement with contactor 34 to close contacts 36 and 31 and open contacts 35 and 31. The cam 28 will lie in a position where the contactor 38 engages the smaller radius of its periphery, causing contacts 39 to be closed and contacts 40 opened, the rise 33 of said cam being set to a position in the angle of rotation to correspond with the termination of the cycle, as indicated by the line 1 in Fig. 8, the group of cams being considered as having advanced in the direction indicated by the arrow g.

A typical cycle of operation may be described as follows: The disc 63 is placed on the spindle 48 and secured thereto by the clamping device 50 in a position wherein the zero graduation on the disc and the perforation I99 lie within the orifice member 65. Upon air pressure from the source I3 now being applied to the system, the presence of the opening I99 within the orifice member 65 will permit the escape of air therefrom, so that pressure will not build up within the bellows 68, and the contactor 12 will lie in the position shown in the drawing, wherein contact I5 is in electrical engagement with the contact element 13 and contact I4 out of engagement therewith.

Electric power being made available at the source, current may flow between the line conductors 9! and 96 under the above-stated conditions, only through a single path, this including contacts 89 and 98 of switch 8 8, conductor I80, contact member 31 and contact 36 in contactor 38, conductor IUI, and the winding of electromagnet' 6i. Other possible paths are blocked by the spring-opened contactor I01, the open contact 49 in the contactor 38, and the open contact 35 in contactor 38. Thus, the only element of the mechanism which will be electrically energized under this condition is the electromagnet 6i, which will act to hold the idler 59 out of engagement with the gear member 49, permitting the spring 5| to retain the disc 63 in its zero position as hereinbefore defined.

In order to initiate a cycle of operation, the switch I07 is manually depressed, closing its contacts and completing a circuit from conductor 9'! through contacts 86 and 81 of switch 83 and conductor I06 to the terminal 92 of motor 8i, and thence from terminal 93 of said motor to line conductor 96. This will cause the motor 8i to operate in a sense to close the press 80. (In actual practice the operation of motor 8I might be effected through a locking relay, permitting the switch I01 to be released once an initial contact has been made; but for purposes of simplicity this has been omitted from the specification, and it may be assumed that the switch I0! is maintained in its depressed position until the platen 82 reaches its upper' limit of travel.) As soon as the platen begins to rise, the tappet arm 9| carried thereby will actuate the switch 84 in a sense to separate 'contacts 89 and 90, thereby de-energizing magnet BI which will release its armature 62, causing the idler 59 to engage the gears 68 and GI completing the mechanical train between motor 51 and spindle 48. At the same time contacts 90 and 88 or switch 84 are brought into engagement, whereby connection is provided between the line conductor 8! and conductor I.

Upon the closing operation being completed, the tappet arm 9i will actuate the switch 83 releasing the contact 81 from engagement with contact 86 and thereby opening the circuit'of motor 8| and bringing it to rest. At the same time, the contact 81 will be brought into engagement with contact providing a path from line conductor 91 to conductor I 93 and through the :contact 39 of contactor 38 to the conductor I62,

and thence through motor 51 to line conductor 96, energizing said motor, whereby the latter, acting through the mechanical train provided by the gears 58, 59,and 49, will cause the disc 68 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction.

Closing of contacts 81 and 86 will also provide a path from line conductor 91 through conductor I83, contacts 39, and conductor I02 to the common contact 13 of contactor l2, thence through contact I5, conductor 99, contacts 26 and 28, and conductor I98 through the windings of motor M to line conductor 96, whereby said motor will become energized, and, acting through the gear train 42 will cause the shaft I 5 and all the cams carried thereby to be rotated. Immediately upon this rotation of the shaft I5, the cams II will actuate such of the valves I2 as they may be set to engage, in any desired predetermined manner, and thus will serve to initiate the first event in the series constituting the'controlled cycle. The rotation of shaft I5 will continue until the motion of cam l8 brings one of the notches 2i within range of the follower 23, when the latter, under the influence of spring 25, will enter said notch and actuate contactor 24 in a sense to transfer the contact 28 from engagement with the contact 26 to engagement with contact 21, thereby interrupting the flow of current through motor 4i and bringing the shaft I 5 to rest.

As the motion of the plate 63 causes the perforation I89 to be moved out of range of the orifice member 65, the interposition of a solid portion of said plate between jets- 68 of said orifice member will retard the escape of air from said jets and will cause pressure to be built up in the conduit 81 and the bellows 68. This will cause the contactor 12 to be actuated in a sense to close contacts I3 and 74, providing in series with contacts 21 and 28 of contactor 28 an alternative path for current whereby the motor 8i will again be energized and cause the shaft I5 to be rotated as before. This rotation will continue until the follower 23 rises out of the notch 2! on the cam I8, causing contacts 21 and 28 to be separated, thereby bringing the motor 8i to rest, and incidentally reengaging contacts 26 and 28. The

settings of the cam ii are made in such a manner that under normal operating conditions no readjustment of the valves I2 W111 take place during this increment of rotation.

The cam-shaft I5 will now remain at rest as the disc 83 continues its rotation, and no further event in the cycle will occur until the perforation iIil comes within range of the orifice member 65 two minutes after the starting of the cycle. Upon the perforation I I8 passing between jets 66, the pressure in the bellows member 88 will again be reduced, and the contacting device I2 operated as before in a sense to cause the contact element 13 again to engage the contact 15 and to be separated from the contact 14- There will now be provided a path for electric current through the windings of motor 4| by way of contact 28 and contacts 26 and 15 instead of contacts 21 and 14 as hereinabove described. The motor 4| will again be energized and will cause the shaft I to rotate to initiate the second event of the cycle, which rotation will continue until the cam follower 23 enters the succeeding one of the indentations 2| on the rim of cam I8. This action will serve to separate the contact element 28 from the contact 26, bringing the motor to rest, and at the same time engaging contacts 28 and 21 for the succeeding operation. As the disc 63 continues to rotate, the perforation III! will move out of juxtaposition to the jets 86 of the orifice 65, causing the bellows member 68 again to be inflated, closing the contacts 14 and again advancing the motor 4| until the follower 23 reaches the periphery of the cam I8 as before.

This action is repeated as the successive perforations III, H2, H3, and 4 come between the jets 66 of the orifice member 65. It will thus be seen that there is developed a series of increments of motion, whereby the shaft I5 is intermittently advanced at time intervals corresponding -to the spacings of the perforations which have been punched in the disc 63 at the points of intersection of selected time graduations with the zone 64. For each desired transition of the cams I1 from one position to another with corresponding advances of the shaft I5, there may be made settin s of said cams so that each advance will set up a valve combination corresponding to a desired event in the controlled sequence.

This series of advances and dwells will continue until the completion of the six events of the cycle as determined by the setting of cam 20 whereon the projection 33 is so positioned as to engage and operate the contactor 38 when the shaft I5 is given an increment of motion following the sixth or final event in said cycle. More specifically, the sixth step of rotation of the shaft I5 (which is initiated as the perforation I|4 arrives opposite the orifice jets 86) is the final event in the particular cycle above referred to by way of illustration, and is to be followed by lowering of the platen 82 and advancing of the shaft to the appropriate position for commencing a new cycle. When the perforation |I4 came opposite said jets 65, the motor 4| was energized to rotate the shaft I5 to initiate said sixth event of the cycle, said rotation continuing until the cam follower 23 entered the sixth notch or indentation 2| on the rim of the cam I8; and thereafter the removal of said perforation from the orifice jets 68 resulted in further rotation of said shaft I5 to shift the follower 23 out of said sixth notch of cam I8 and to restore said follower to the adjacent periphery of said cam. At this time the projection 33 of cam 20 is adjacent the follower or contactor 38, ready to operate said contactor as soon as further rotation of shaft I5 takes place.

Now when the perforation II5 comes within the range of the orifice member 65 and lowers the pressure in bellows 68 sufficiently to bring contactor 13 into engagement with contact 15, the motor 4| is again energized and shaft I5 again rotated. The projection 33 of cam 20 thereupon actuates the contactor 38 to open contact 39 and to close the contact 40. The positions of the cams I8, I9, and 29 with relation to their followers at this time are indicated by the line 1 in Fig. 8.

Opening of the circuit at the contact 39 serves to de-energize the motor 51 and also the common contact 13 of the-switch 12, whereby both motors 51 and 4| are brought to rest. Closing of the circuit at contact 49 provides a path for current from line conductor 91 through contact 90 and 88 of switch 84, conductors I04 and I05, and the winding of motor 8I to line conductor 96 to operate said motor in a sense to open the press and lower the platen 82.

As the platen 82 reaches the lowest point of its travel the tappet arm 9| will engage the contact 99 of the switch 84 clearing said contact from contact 88 and thus interrupting the circuit to motor 8|, whereby the latter will be brought to rest. At the same time the contacts 90 and 89 will be brought together, whereby connection will be provided between line conductor 91 and conductor I09 through contact element 31 to contact 35 and conductors 99 and 99, and thence, by contacts 25 and 28 and conductor I08, through the winding of motor 4| to the line conductor 95, energizing said motor, and causing the same to advance the shaft I5 and elements carried thereby. From Fig. 8 it will be noted that the projection 32 of cam I9 is engaged with its follower (contactor 34) only when the shaft |5 is in its normal position, at the start of a cycle; and that therefore said contactor 34 is out of engagement with contact 36 and in engagement with contact 35 throughout the rotation of shaft I5, until the latter completes a revolution from said starting position.

Because of the blocking out of unused notches 2| by the plates 30 and 3|, the follower 23 will remain in a position to maintain the contacts 28 and 28 in engagement and the motor 4| will continue to operate until one revolution of the shaft I5 has been completed, and the projection 32 on the cam I9 actuates the contactor 34, clearing the common contact 31 from the contact 35 and bringing it into engagement with the contact 36. Opening of the circuit passing through contact 35 will serve to de-energize the motor 4|, bringing it to rest in its starting position. Closing of the circuit completed by contact 36 will energize the electromagnet 6|, causing the same to attract the armature 62, lifting the arm '60 and disengaging the gear 59 from the gear 49, whereby the latter will be released, and the spring 5| will reset the disc 63 to its starting position with the finger 53 in contact with the stop 54. Thus a complete cycle of operations will have been carried out by the cycle controller, and all elements of the instrument restored to their starting positions.

From an understanding of the above description it will be apparent that there has been provided a process cycle controller having great flexibility of adjustment and adaptable to a wide variety of applications. The valve combinations necessary to the carrying out of the various events in the cycle can be independently adjusted by the settings of the cams I1 with respect to each other and to the shaft I5. The timing of the successive events in the cycle is definitely established by the positioning of the perforations about the periphery of the disc 63; and a number of different discs may be provided in advance to meet the requirements of various process cycles as they may be affected by requirements of individual batches. The elimination of unused positions by blocking out the notches in cam I8 provides a rapid resetting action and eliminates any delay which might otherwise be experienced in the restoring of the control instrument to its starting point.

has been shown in its application to the operation of an electrically actuated platen press, it will be apparent to those versed in the art that, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention, it may be applied with equal facility to the control of such devices as tire molds, solventrecovery processes, gas producers, oil refining plants, dyeing apparatus, the treatment oi foodstuffs, or any discontinuous process requiring the accurate timing of a sequence of events.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. In a process cycle controller, means for establishing successive conditions in a process cycle, an electric motor for actuating said condition-establishing means, a circuit for the same, pneumatically operated switching means for aflecting said circuit to energize said motor, further switching means in said circuit for interrupting the same to bring the motor to rest, a

. constant speed member including fluid pressure control elements for repeatedly actuating said pneumatically operated switching means to start the motor, and means operated by said motor for repeatedly actuating said further switching means for bringing said motor to rest.

2. In a process cycle controller, means for establishing successive conditions characterizing a cycle, an electric motor for actuating said condition-establishing means, a circuit for said motor, pneumatically operated switching means to complete said circuit, means for repeatedly and at predetermined times varying fluid pressure on said switching means to operate the same, and further switching means in said circuit for interrupting the same to bring the motor to rest.

3. In a process cycle controller, means for establishing successive conditions characterizing a cycle, an electric-motor for actuating said condition-establishing means, a circuit for the same, pneumatically operated switching means including a vent and subject for operation to the obstruction or non-obstruction of said vent, a constant speed member coacting with said vent to obstruct the same and thereby to actuate said switching means in one sense, and having apertures at predetermined locations in said member adapted at predetermined times in the movement of said member to register with said vent whereby the latter will be relatively unobstructed to actuate said switch in another sense, and further switching means in said circuit for interrupting the same to bring the motor to rest.

4. In a process cycle controller, means for establishing conditions characterizing a cycle, an electric motor for actuating said condition-establishing means, a circuit for thesame, pneumatically operated switching means for completing said circuit and including a vent and subject for operation to the obstruction or non-obstruction of said vent, a movable graduated member adapted to coact with said vent to obstruct the same, thereby operating said switching means in one sense, and having elements at predetermined locations with respect to the graduations on said member and adapted at predetermined times in the movement of the same to coact with said vent to relieve obstruction of the same whereby said switch will be actuated in another sense, constant speed means for moving said member, further switching means in said circuit for interrupting the same, and means actuated by said motor for repeatedly operating said last-named switching means for bringing said motor to rest.

5. In a process cycle controller, means for establishing conditions characterizing a cycle, an electric motor for actuating said condition-establishing means, a circuit for the same, pneumatically operated switching means for completing said circuit and including a vent and subject for operation to the obstruction or non-obstruction of said vent, a removable rotatable disc graduated about its periphery, and adapted to coact with said vent to obstruct the same, thereby operating said switching means inone sense, and having apertures at predetermined locations with respect to the graduations on said disc and adapted at predetermined times in the rotation of the same to register with said vent whereby the latter will be relatively unobstructed to actuate said switch in another sense, constant speed means for rotating said disc, further switching means in said circuit for interrupting the same, and means actuated by said motor for repeatedly operating said last-named switching means for bringing said motor torest.

HAROLD E. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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Bosomworth Jan. 19, 1943 

